Benjamin Weingarten
The Blaze
12/17/2014
In light of the news regarding the release of Alan Gross and America’s re-opening of diplomatic relations with Cuba, we thought it useful to provide some insight into what life has been like under the Communist Castro regime in the decades since the island’s 1959 revolution.
The horrors of the Cuban system are perhaps best illustrated in Armando Valladares‘ “Against All Hope: A Memoir of Life in Castro’s Gulag,” which was published in 1986.
First, a note of warning: For those made squeamish by the contents of the recently released so-called “torture report” from the Senate Intelligence Committee, you will likely not be able to make it through this book, describing Valladares’ experiences as a political prisoner, or “enemy of the regime,” for 22 years from 1960 to 1982…
…Valladares, an artist, writer and poet would be named U.S. Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Commission by President Ronald Reagan, a position he used to continue speaking out against the Cuban regime. He would also receive the Presidential Citizens” Medal, the second highest award given to a civilian in the U.S., and the Superior Award by the U.S. Department of State…
The complete article is at The Blaze.
Related:
CAJ note: We would urge readers to visit Babalu Blog.
